A Chance at a New Life
by Quryuu
Summary: Xander was tired. After the fall of Sunnydale he had traversed Africa. Now back home in the states he runs into the one thing he really didn't want to. His real family.


Supernatural/BTVS

Note: Xander is 2 years younger than Sam. So they have been hunting longer than the series and John is not dead.

Season 8 Buffy not mentioned. Will follow season 7. Focus on Xander.

Xander: Age 23

Sam: age 25

Dean age 29

The bar he had stopped in was just as good as any other bar out there. It had the typical 'old west' visage that so many portrayed out here but with a bit more pizzazz given the lighting. Not that it mattered. No, what mattered most to him was that it had plenty of alcohol and was eons away from anyone he knew. Not that most of them would even bother to find him. After all they were the ones that had run him off in the first place.

Snorting at his thoughts he took another drag of his whiskey, letting the dark liquid burn down his throat. With a small wave he signaled the barkeep for another. Vaguely he noted that she was a pretty woman in her early forties. She certainly had that motherly vibe going, the one Mrs. Summers had perfected long ago. The woman, Ellen he thought, had certainly given him the patent 'disapproving' look at his continued indulgence of whiskey, but something in his countenance must have warned her to leave him be. Considering some of the characters he'd seen her reaming out earlier he must look worse than hell itself. He certainly felt like it.

With his one lone orb focused on the glass in front of him he drifted into his memories of the past few years. For nearly eighteen months he had been traversing the wilds of Africa, finding the newly initiated Slayers and setting up a council system in a land far from civilized. There one didn't just have to worry about the demons, as vast and fearsome as those were. No the humans sometimes proved to be just as monstrous if not worse. He had known from the get go that none of his girls would have been able to handle it. Giles couldn't go because he had to set up the main council in England and clean up the old council's mess. Robin was too vital to Cleveland and setting up Slayer central with Faith there, his administrative background a godsend to the Scoobies. As for the last male of their group, Andrew, that had been a resounding no. So of course he had stepped to the forefront.

Buffy and Willow certainly hadn't protested then. The former so busy planning her European vacation and the latter too wrapped up in her latest girlfriend and making plans to party it up in South America. After surviving with them through the Hellmouth he thought this had meant that they finally understood that he could look after himself and he too was an important part of their group. So off he went.

It had been hard, harder than anything he had ever faced or done. But he had persevered and even blossomed as a person. He had learned several new languages, found and taught several new Slayers and gave them the support system they needed to survive. He had even made alliances with various clans and tribes, some not human. He had thought he was doing great.

But then Queen Buffy decided to wake up to the world and take her throne once more. She had decided that Xander needed protection and should not have been sent to Africa so she ordered him to return. Somehow she got Willow on her side and they tried to take everything he had worked so hard to make and set him on the sidelines once more. The blow up fight they had still rang in his ears.

Giles and the others had all backed him, something that pissed her 'highness' off to no end. Then of course they let it slip how he, along with Faith, sent reinforcements to help Angel and his crew to stop that apocalypse. One would think he had caused the damn thing the way the two screeched at him. When they had learned that he had been injured in a recent battle with Chaos demons in Africa they demanded he retire then and there. It finally came to the point where he simply walked out on them. If they didn't want him then he could do it on his own.

He hadn't bothered to look back to see their faces as he left but he could easily imagine the indignant rage on Buffy's face and the frustrated pout Willow would likely wear. At this point in his life he just didn't care what they thought any more. He had been through too much, they all had, and their petty need to be in charge had finally driven him off.

He had said his goodbyes to the others, Faith almost cried when she saw him off. They had managed to form a friendship in the time after Sunnydale, both managing to lay the past behind them. Giles had told him to call if he needed anything at all. Dawn had sobbed and begged him to stay but he just couldn't. The hardest though had been leaving his girls. They all understood, and were pretty angry on his behalf with the 'queen slayer'. He made sure they knew that if they needed him to call and he would come.

Then he had just driven. He didn't bother looking to where he was going he just had to get away. It wasn't until he saw this place that he finally pulled over for longer than an hour. Something about it just called to his sore and weary bones. So he had sidled inside just after lunch, parked himself at the bar, ordered a meal and as much hard liquor as he could stand. Considering it was well into the night he had better tolerance than he had thought.

The bar had become busier over the day, slowing down just before the dinner rush then jumping back up around 8 or so. Xander tried not to pay attention but after hunting and living on the Hellmouth for so long and then the time he lived in Africa he couldn't block out his surroundings, no matter how much he wanted to. Then again with some of the characters he had seen in here tonight he doubted he should.

It hadn't really surprised him too much to learn of Hunters. Men and women who chose to fight against the darkness; usually because of someone they lost. If it hadn't been for Jesse, Xander didn't think he would have fought as long as he had. Others might say differently but Xander knew himself better than anyone. If Jesse had never been turned leading to Xander having to stake him, he wouldn't have taken such a hard stance against the night.

That was the night he lost any true family. Sure he had Willow and the rest of the Scoobies but they had never accepted him as unconditionally as Jesse had. Many were the times they had pushed him away, much like his real family had. His mom had often sunk into the bottom of a bottle and couldn't be bothered with her son. Tony, well when he wasn't passed out he found a way to either yell at or beat Xander, and he wasn't even his real father. No his real dad had left him behind and though he had insinuated he was welcome in his life should Xander so choose, his two older half-brothers had made it clear that he was not.

Blinking back tears Xander took another swig of whiskey hoping to wash away the memories that those thoughts had dredged up. It had been years since he'd last thought of his dad and brothers. Not since Buffy had come to town. Though he vaguely remembered a call from his father asking about graduation; Xander had shot that down with a few well-chosen words. He may have wanted to see the man, but graduation was not safe. So he had severed that last possible tie in an effort to save the one member of his biological family that had actually cared.

He wondered where they were and if they were happy.

"Hey Ellen!" A rather familiar voice called out from the doors. Xander glanced up into the mirror behind the bar easily making out the three men that came inside. The younger two looked slightly different than he remembered, certainly taller, but the older male could not be mistaken for anyone else.

With a groan he let his head fall to the bar with a bang. "Butt-monkey. I'm the universe's butt-monkey," he muttered quietly to himself not seeing the looks he got from a few of the patrons around him. It figured that of all the bars he chose to finally stop at it would be the one that John 'freaking' Winchester and his sons, Dean and Sam, would make a stop at. Once more his luck proved to be extremely crappy.

Thankfully someone was watching out for him and a small pretty blonde waylaid the group and led them to a booth closer to the pool table area. Xander wondered if he'd be able to get out of there with out them noticing him. Some part of his brain whispered that they wouldn't recognize him given how many years had passed since he last saw them. He wouldn't be able to move fast though; his injuries still caused him too much pain for that.

Deep inside his psych he could feel the remnants of the Hyena and 'Serge' moving around, obviously assessing the possible 'threat'. While he had told everyone that those possessions had moved on he hadn't been 100% truthful. Parts of them had remained behind, helping Xander when needed and offering company when alone, especially those many nights in the African wilderness. Over time he had come to trust them more than his 'friends'. Right now both were wary but not on the defensive about the arrival of his 'blood' relatives.

It didn't help that most of the people had vacated the restaurant given the late hour. In fact given those he could see still hanging around had to pretty much be Hunters or at least in the know. Many of them gave him veiled looks, trying to figure him out. He tried to hold himself in a harmless posture, a mask he had perfected over the years of living in cassa Harris. Sadly the eye patch and his size tended to hinder his act.

Catching the eye of Ellen he gestured for his check, pulling out his wallet while she rung him up. Just as he handed her his credit card a fairly skinny man with a mullet of all things came bounding out of the back, his voice carrying as he greeted the Winchesters.

"Dean, Sam, good to see you guys! Hey Mr. Winchester, I got that info you wanted. You are not gonna believe what I found."

"Hello Ash," John greeted the man with a slight worn smile. His sons however had turned to him in confusion, wondering just what he wanted the computer genius to look up for him.

The young tech stood by their table waving a file around. "You wouldn't believe what I had to go through to find anything. Your kid's got red tape wrapped so tight around him not even the defense department could get through. Lucky for you I'm a genius."

Xander froze just slightly, shoulders tense as he listened in. John had tried to find out about him? Then why not call? Then again he hadn't exactly given him his contact after Sunnydale. Hell he had cut off contact even before then. Unless he was looking for another kid. Glancing in the mirror he noted how John looked rather… expectant? Excited? Dean and Sam both looked surprised. Probably wondering why their dad wasted time on a kid that shouldn't exist in their books. He blinked when their faces turned to Ash as well, both looking hopeful. Huh, that was different.

"The reason I couldn't find any info was I was looking for Alexander Winchester." Ash plowed on without a care. "His last name was changed when he was five to Harris, at least on all his documents for school and such. It was never legally changed, but from the records it was approved at the Mayor's office."

Xander tried hard not to react to that. It figured Wilkins had a hand in that. All he remembered was his mom telling him that he was a Harris and should forget going by Winchester. After the 'discussion' with his brothers at age ten he had just gone by Harris all the time instead of just at school.

"Anyway after inputting that name into the system with the rest of the information you gave me it popped up a big red classified file on the kid."

"What the hell?" Dean frowned.

"Like military classified or something else," Sam asked, his face contorting in worry.

"Like military classified and majorly high up. Took months to get around that and even then most of the info on him is blacked out." Ash leaned forward excitedly, obviously pleased with the idea of a conspiracy.

Xander bit back a curse. 'Thanks Riley.' He figured the Initiative was covered up, but giving him a classified file? Overkill much? Peeking at the group again he noticed John had remained stone faced as Ash continued on.

"Yeah, total bummer not finding out what happened. Anyway I found out that he was in Sunnydale when it went the way of the dinosaurs. However he got out at the last minute with a bunch of other people." Ash pointed to something in the file. Xander wondered briefly just what he had found and fought not to march over there and confiscate the paperwork. "Most of his documents were lost in the sink hole but I managed to find some records from his school and his medicals. This kid did not have an easy life. His hospital records are huge! All before the age of fifteen too. The nurses suspected abuse but no one could prove it."

Xander almost groaned; he so did not need his personal history blurted out in the middle of a bar, even if it was his father and brothers hearing it. He didn't bother looking to see their reactions; he didn't want or need pity. Never had.

"After fifteen his medicals showed some serious stuff but not from abuse. There were some questionable notations in the files but nothing else. After doing some more digging this time on the underground circuit cause I had a hunch ya know. And what I found… man it blew my mind."

The three Winchesters looked at the other expectantly but when he didn't say anything for a few minutes Dean nearly snapped at him.

"Dude! Don't keep us waiting!"

"Oh. Yeah so your kid." Ash turned to John. "Is none other than Xander Harris."

Having a hole appear and swallow him up would not be unwelcome to Xander at the moment. Especially given that the ENTIRE bar had gone silent at the declaration. He also noticed Ellen giving him a few looks; her eyes moving from his credit card back to him several times.

"You mean the one they call The White Knight?" Sam's near whisper sounded more like an explosion in the silence.

"That's right man." Ash rocked back on his heals grinning like a loon.

"Whoa." Dean held his hands up. "You saying our kid brother is The White Knight? A man that's legendary in our world. Hell demons consider him one of the most dangerous humans to walk the earth. Dude! You gotta be kidding me!"

"Not this time Deano." The young man shook his head. "All the information fits. And when I looked up his current info I found out he's been in Africa for a little over 18 months. Made a hell of a name for himself there. But check this out." He threw another document on the table, which both brothers grabbed. "He's back in the states. Flew into Cleveland a couple weeks ago. After that though he just disappeared. No one knows where he is exactly but according to the rumor mill it seems he had a falling out with his group. The demons are worried that he's gone free agent."

Xander did frown at that. Why would they care? It'd make him an easier target without all of the slayers around. It's not like he'd done anything, at least here in the states, to put that kind of fear into them.

Ellen meanwhile continued to study the young man sitting at her bar as she listened to Ash prattle on. While it was hard to read his facial expressions the emotion in his eye was a bit clearer. Plus the name on his credit card had pretty much given him away. But something told her not to say anything just yet.

"Why would the demons care if he was a free agent?" Dean frowned up at Ash curiously. His green eyes darted to their father noting his stoic features. He knew better though, the information had bothered his dad greatly. He had left Alex behind to keep him safe, but he still loved his son. For most of the kid's early years he had kept a watch on him. Then he and Sammy had met the kid and in their anger pushed him away from their family. He could admit to himself now that it was the wrong thing to do, but he'd been so angry that his father had had another kid with some woman that wasn't their mother. The kid had taken them seriously the way he had backed off, and then cut ties with their dad. While he wanted to put all the blame on the kid he couldn't. He remembered the look Alex had given them when the brothers warned him away from their family with such hurtful words. Alex had blamed himself for their anger and sadness and so had kept his distance like they wanted. It took years to realize the mistake and then when it came time for the kid to graduate high school he had planned to go see him and apologize, especially after dealing with the loss of Sam. Suddenly he didn't want to lose any more of his family. But the kid had point blank said not to come. That he didn't want them there. The pain that had brought to their father was immense, and Dean knew it was mostly his fault. But maybe now they could get a second chance. Glancing at Sammy he could see his little brother had similar thoughts.

"Most of them think that his group kept him in line." Ash shrugged slightly at the question. "They know he's the type that'll do what it takes to get the job done. His group though, was a bit more 'squeamish' I guess."

That comment did make Xander snort. He wondered where the guy got his information because his girls were not 'squeamish' in the least when it came to dealing with a bad guy. Sure Buffy still only did what she thought was right, sometimes at the expense of others, but not his slayers. The ones he trained knew better. The world came first; personal feelings could be soothed after the battle.

"Could you find him," John spoke at last, his voice think with some unknown emotion. He had finally reconciled with his first two sons and he wanted to see his third son Alex, even if the boy had tried to push him away all those years ago. He needed to know how he turned out from the man his son became, not the rumors that flitted about.

"I can try." Ash nodded.

Xander tensed again. His father wanted to see him? Why? It seemed his brothers were on board too, but did he want to see them? He'd already been hurt so much in the past, and after the recent blow from the two women he had known for so long he didn't know if he could make himself that vulnerable again. It also didn't help that he was slightly drunk and in pain at the current moment. Perhaps a strategic retreat was required.

Of course just as that thought struck him his famous luck just had to perform an encore for the evening.

The doors to the restaurant slammed open allowing a fairly average height slim male with bleached hair swagger into the bar. The Hunters had all flinched, their hands disappearing under tables, reaching for weapons no doubt. Xander had seen the doors move in the mirror but no one entered, or at least their reflection didn't.

"Can I help you?" Ellen practically growled at the new comer, not happy with the way he treated her doors.

"S'alright love. I found what I'm looking for." His piercing blue eyes locked onto Xander's back. Said man was once more banging his head lightly against the bar. Why? Why was the bleached wonder looking for him? "Little birdie told me the whelp went on a little holiday." The glee in Spike's voice sent a shiver up his spine. "Been looking for ya Harris."

Xander barely repressed the urge to look in the mirror at his family to see their reactions. From the renewed silence he could easily guess. Sighing heavily he called out to the vampire. "Go away Spike."

"Now that hurts pet. Haven't seen you since good ol' Sunny-D turned into a huge hole and this is the welcome I get?" The blonde pretended to pout, though humor tinged his tone and his eyes. He made his way to the bar taking the spot next to Xander. Taking a quick synopsis of the boy he didn't like what he saw. Harris was worn down and from his scent wounded. Why hadn't the whelp gotten one of the council witches to patch him right up? Perhaps Faith hadn't been too far off in her assessment of Xan's anger. He only tended to forget such things when in a fight or too upset to bother with it.

"I could have brought out my stake if you'd prefer." At least the boy still had enough gumption to snark with him. Even he could admit he missed this battle of wits with the younger man. Snagging the unfinished glass of whiskey he saluted the boy and quickly threw it back.

"I must say your taste has improved," the vamp advised. "Though I'm partial to Jack Daniel's myself."

"What do you want Spike?" Xander sat up finally facing the vampire.

Exhausted was the first word that popped into Spike's mind upon getting a good look at his ally. He considered calling the boy on it but as he was here to help him, announcing to the world at large that the whelp obviously looked like shit would not endear the man to him. Especially since he couldn't tell him why he had come until IT happened.

"Got a demon problem. Need a bit of back up. Heard you're a free agent now." The lie slipping easily from his tongue as he examined his nails with false interest. "Thought you'd be up for a bit of violence."

Xander chuckled humorlessly. "I'm not sure I can get up from this stool let alone fight a demon right now." Normally he'd never admit something like that, least of all to Spike, but as pointed out before he was too tired to care.

"Figured as much. You got any bandages in your car?" At Xander's look he tapped his nose playfully. "Can smell the blood from here. Surprised you didn't get Red or one of your lot to patch you up."

"Well I am a free agent now," he muttered sarcastically, bitterness hanging off the words. "Don't get the perks when you're on your own."

"So the scuttlebutt is true is it? Had a tiff with Slayer and Red and walked out. That was a big mistake," Spike mused.

"Yeah well according to most I AM a mistake, so what's it matter?"

"Never said you were the one in the wrong did I?"

Xander frowned at Spike trying to figure him out but even after living with him for as long as he had he still could not read the other man. Then again Spike had over 150 years to perfect his own masks. Before he could retort another voice interrupted them.

"Alex?"

For a moment Xander didn't want to respond but somehow he found the courage to turn the stool around and face his father. Staring into the brown eyes so like his own he nodded slightly. "Dad. Been a while."

"Last time I heard from you, you told me not to come to your graduation," John replied softly, a tiny bit of pain and accusation in his words. His eyes scanned his son's form taking in all the differences. They lingered heavily on the worn eye patch.

"Yeah, well it…wouldn't have been good…"

Spike stared between the two before a sly smirk took over his features. "I'll be damned."

"Too late," Xander muttered out of reflex.

"Xander 'demon magnet' Harris is the son of John 'bloody' Winchester! Oh this is too much!" The blonde cackled gleefully. "Guess I shouldn't be too surprised. That other bloke never quite smelled right to be your da. And seeing this, well… the apple certainly doesn't fall far from the tree!"

"What?" Xander frowned.

"He's a Hunter. So are those two boys of his last I heard," the vamp explained as he fished out a cigarette. "Got quite a few notches on their supernatural belts. Almost as much as you."

"You're a Hunter?" Xander turned to John studying him as if for the first time. The man nodded slowly, trying not to squirm under the weight of his youngest son's eye. "Huh… if I'd known that I probably would have invited you to graduation. Certainly would have asked for ideas."

Now John frowned. "What does my being a Hunter have to do with you graduating high school?"

Spike chuckled causing Xander to elbow the vamp, but the blonde man answered before the whelp could. "The Mayor of Sunnydale was ascending into a True demon that day. Was planning to turn the graduating class into a buffet. You're boy here helped stop him. He led the students to fight and rigged the school to blow up around the newly demonized Mayor."

Xander shifted under the weight of his father's look.

"Dude! You blew up your school? That's awesome!"

"Dean!" Sam hissed at the other.

"We didn't have a volcano handy," Xander blurted trying to explain. This of course sent Spike into hysterics while the others just stared at him in a mixture of disbelief and amusement.

"So," John spoke again. "You didn't want me to come because it wouldn't have been safe?"

Flushing a bit Xander looked away from him. "We weren't even sure it was gonna work. I couldn't risk… It's not like it mattered any way… I mean you didn't even intend to have me so there's no reason for you to care."

"I care Alex." John sighed heavily. "I've always cared. You're my son. Hell the only reason I left you with your mom was because I thought it'd be too dangerous for you on the road with us."

"How was a Hellmouth safer?" Xander frowned in confusion, a tiny bit of bitterness lacing his words.

"What's a Hellmouth?" Sam ventured, curious. Xander cocked his head to look his way.

"You're a hunter and you don't know about the Hellmouth?" The disbelief in his voice had both of his brothers squirming a bit. Even John looked a bit chagrined about the subject.

"They may be hunters mate, but the whole 'Sunnydale syndrome' works on them too. Only a few hunters have heard of Hellmouths and most write it off as myth," Spike explained cheerfully from his stool.

"What about that one guy. The one that hunted Oz?"

"Ah but he wasn't hunting the wolf for the good fight was he? Wanted his fur for the black market," Spike pointed out.

Xander snorted. "Figures bad guys would know more than the good guys."

"Can we go back to you explaining what a Hellmouth is?" John pushed almost impatiently. His son and the other young man, though he seriously questioned his 'human nature' turned their attention to him.

"A Hellmouth is a mystical convergence that leads to basically hell dimensions. It has a tenuous block on it that keeps the door shut. Several big bads have tried over the years to either open it or exploit its powers for their evil purposes. Mostly to end the world," Xander explained it as if he was speaking of the weather. "Usually it attracts all kinds of bad demons, from vampires to Hell gods. Found out all about it when I was fifteen. Been fighting the good fight ever since."

"That's how he came to be known as the White Knight. Pissed off right many demons your boy did. Even stood up to peaches when he went and lost his soul. First mortal to ever back Angelus down without a single weapon in sight." The memory brought a fond smile to his face.

Xander rolled his eyes. "You still tease him about that don't you?"

"Every chance I get."

"So you started fighting at fifteen? Who trained you?" John interrupted again, a feeling of dread welling up in his stomach. What had he left his son to?

"Uh… no one." Xander blinked, startled at the question. "I mean I wasn't even the main hitter. Mostly I was the bait or provider of donuts. I learned enough over time. Besides, by then I knew how to take a hit."

John closed his eyes trying to reign in his temper. "So Harris did beat you." Xander didn't answer, but the look on his face gave him the information he sought. A low hiss escaped him. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Look, it was a long time ago and it wasn't exactly something I wanted to talk about. And truthfully I didn't really think anyone would care." Tired he leaned back against the bar. If his father wanted to hash this out now then he figured he might as well be honest about it. After all no one had ever spared his feelings, why should he?

"You should have told us," Dean growled his protective nature stirring, anger and guilt mixing within him. "You're family, we would have cared!"

The one visible eye stared him down in challenge. "Really now? Cause I distinctly remember being told I wasn't a part of your family even if dad claimed me as his because I was just a mistake from your old man blowing off steam, and I had no right claiming otherwise." The words were said calmly and without any bite, but they didn't need it. In fact Dean would have preferred Alex to yell at them instead of repeating it in such a factual manner. It certainly would have hurt less.

"Yeah well, we were dumb kids mad at our dad. We shouldn't have taken it out on you, but we did and I'm sorry about that." Dean took on a rather contrite look. "Us Winchesters aren't really known for thinking things through."

"Ain't that the truth," Ellen muttered from where she stood watching behind the bar, earning looks from all the men.

"What jerk here is trying to say is that we know we messed up and though we aren't the most functional family, we hoped you'd give us another chance." Sam held out the proverbial olive branch.

Xander looked at them all for a moment his body sagging in defeat, a world-weary visage now clearly etched on his features. "I don't know if I can. I've lost so many people over the years and been pushed away by friends time and again. People who I considered family." He scrubbed one hand over his face. "I just don't know if I can let anyone in anymore."

John and the boys wanted to protest to that, but taking in the tired look of the youngest Winchester they couldn't. They all understood too well the pain of betrayal and the harshness the life of a hunter could bring. Alex was at the end of his rope, and like any Winchester, if pushed he'd push back harder and someone would get hurt.

Spike took it all in silently, studying the group before him. He'd seen first hand what the lot in Sunnydale had done to the whelp, even if the kid tried to hide it under a mask of goofy ignorance. If not for the decades of experience he had with reading people, he might have missed it himself as well constructed as that mask was. But he knew, even before he had his soul back, and he had understood and even respected the boy for it. Unlike his little friends he understood the darkness in people and the fact that a soul didn't make one good. Xander had actually confessed to him one night that was the reason he'd protested Angel so much. Sure jealousy had a small part, but mostly he didn't understand why the girls couldn't see how wrong it was for a man his age, vampire or not, to hit on a fifteen year old girl. While suitable in the time period Angel came from when alive, in the present it equaled pedophilia.

Even when he'd gotten the chip in his head and couldn't take a bite out of humans anymore the whelp still considered him dangerous. Sure he'd throw insults and constant reminders of his new leash. But the demon knew the boy watched him, fully aware that Spike didn't need to do the actual attacking to hurt them. The Vampire had proven that true when he'd tried pitting them against each other during the Adam fiasco.

The boy had natural instincts and ability to read people that the others had dismissed way too often. Hell, even that evil priest Caleb had called him 'The One Who Sees'. At the time he'd admit even he had not understood the title, too wrapped up in his feelings for Buffy to pay attention to the others. Looking back on it now, he could easily see what they had all missed. Especially after the last conversation with Dru.

Hopefully if all went to plan, the whelp would get a second chance with those who would value him more. Though he didn't know much about the Winchesters, he did know they valued family above all else. Which would definitely work in Xander's favor once IT happened.

Speaking of which…

From the corner of his eye he could just make out the beginning of a glow forming around Xander's body. Looked like Red had found the spell she wanted.

"Dude, why are you glowing?" Dean frowned as he pointed out the steadily growing light.

Xander frowned as he held his hands up examining said glow. Now he could feel the telltale signs of magic working on his body. All around him the people tensed and reached for weapons, for what good that would do. Only Spike didn't seem surprised or even overly concerned. With trepidation he asked the question now plaguing his mind.

"Spike. Why did you really come here?"

The vampire ignored the accusatory and suspicious looks from the gathered hunters. "Got a visit from Dru last week. Going on and on about her Dark Kitten. How he's been hurt in his heart and how he walked away from the blind ones. About how the Red Witch was going to be naughty and bring him back, because she thinks she's right and the Kitten's wrong. Said the Witch will turn the Dark Kitten into a puppy again, then will lock him away to protect him from the world. Said I needed to stop the Red Witch from taking the Knight or the Dark Kitten would die, she did. Said it would cause bad things to happen; would cause the world to fall."

Xander narrowed his eyes at the vampire, body twitching in pain and the magic continued to burn through his system. "Then why aren't you stopping it?"

"Like I said. I'm only supposed to keep her from taking you," he responded casually, smirking slightly at the deadly glare the boy sent his way. "Because the Dark Kitten needs to be a puppy and returned to his true pack, if he is to heal."

For a moment it looked like Xander would say something, most likely unpleasant, however the power from the spell reached full force and he fell to the ground crying out in pain. John and the boys tried to rush forward but Spike intercepted.

"Get the hell out of our way!" John growled at the man, Dean and Sam both pulling weapons out to back him up.

"Hold on a mo. It'll be over soon and you'll understand," the vampire advised dryly, his eyes focusing on Xander's form. Suddenly the light flared brightly forcing those around them to pull back and shield their eyes.

When it finally died down the group stared in stunned silence at the now unconscious child sized Xander. Without pause Spike jumped forward pulling out an amulet and draped it over the boy's neck. He then pulled out a small packet turning it upside down and sprinkling the contents over the boy while speaking a few words in Latin. Xander glowed briefly once more.

"What are you doing to him," Dean yelled in anger.

"Protecting him."

"From what? He's already been hit by a spell and turned into a kid!" Sam sneered.

"From that." He nodded towards the sudden portal ripping through the air over Xander. The hunters watched in horror as tendrils of power reached out from the portal trying to grab hold of Xander. The amulet flared to life and an invisible force field stopped the tendrils short. It held the portal back until it imploded on itself.

"And there you have it." Spike grinned then moved over to Xander and carefully picked him up. Turning to Ellen he nodded to the child in his arms. "Do you have a room where I can clean him up and take care of his wounds?"

"He's wounded?" Sam stepped forward worriedly.

"Yup. Heard he dealt with some Chaos demons in Africa before heading to Cleveland. Even though he's child-sized now the magic couldn't heal the wounds he's already acquired. He'll also remember everything he's already been through. No doubt Red figured she could wipe his memory once she had him back." As he gave an explanation to the hunters he followed Ellen to the back room. She gestured him into one of the rooms. "Ta luv."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Dean huffed. "Go back to the beginning, explain how and why you know all this and who Red is!"

Spike laid Xander on the bed and started to remove his shirt, which had not shrunk with him. A set of hands stopped him half way. Looking up he found John staring at his youngest son's injuries.

"I'll do that." The elder hunter stated in a soft voice. It was obvious that he was trying to control his emotions.

"Alright." Spike nodded and stood back taking a seat on the bed across from the one that held Xander's prone form. Though he kept an eye on the oldest Winchester, just in case. Leaning back he took in the two brothers hovering just inside the room, dividing their attention between him and Xander. He noted the bar lady came in with a first aid kit and a bowl of warm water with wash clothes. He also noted a few others hanging out near the door, though not quite in the room.

"Here's how it works. Xander there had a falling out with his girls, Buffy Summers the Head Slayer and Willow Rosenberg the Red Witch. For years now those two felt that the whelp should step back, since out of all of their group he was the 'normal' one. No magic, no super powers, nothing. Personally I happen to think that's a load of crock. Xander's been a big part in saving the world several times, though I don't have all the details. Wasn't exactly a part of their group until later." Twitching slightly at the stronger smell of the whelp's blood he took note that while cleaning the wounds some of the cuts had started bleeding again. The boy's blood was as sweet as ever, one of the reasons he believed demons had flocked to Xander.

"Anyway, from what I heard from a friend, when Xander came back from Africa, those two demanded that he step down, especially after learning how involved he was."

"Involved in what?" Sam queried.

Raising a brow the blond snorted. "Finding all the new slayers in Africa and forming a unified system there along with making treaties with various tribes and clans." Spike rolled his shoulders. He quickly explained the last battle of Sunnydale and the activation of the entire slayer line. "Anyway, back to the present. Dru is an old friend and acquaintance of both of us." He gestured to Xander then himself. "She's crazy as you can get, but she's a seer. If ya know how to listen to her you can learn a lot. Basically she told me that Willow was going to pull a spell on Xander. I figure she didn't like him leaving them and in her misguided attempt to protect him decided to turn him into a kid, that way he'd be forced to depend on them for protection, which is probably what she and Buffy want. First she had to turn him into a kid again before she could grab him via portal. Most likely she and the Slayer would have kept him hidden from everyone else, which would have been a very big problem."

"Does this have to do with the world falling?" Ash leaned in through the door. "And why would that happen if they hid him?"

"Because, too many people on all sides like the whelp. Not to mention he found and helped train the majority of the new slayers. Any of them find out he's missing, they'll tear the world apart to find him. If Red managed to get away with her plan and they found out, it'd be open war. There's a lot of beings that like the whelp and wouldn't take kindly to them hurting him."

"So why didn't you stop the spell completely," Dean accused, eyes glaring daggers at the blond male.

Spike studied the young man for a moment, as if considering his metal. "Don't tell me you boys didn't notice how exhausted the whelp is? He's on fumes. If he's going to get better he needs this. Like Dru said, Dark Kitten needs to be a puppy and returned to his true pack, if he is to heal."

"So puppy means child. Then his true pack… is that us? We're his real family after all." Sam deduced.

"Give the boy a prize," Spike snarked cheekily before turning serious again. "The whelp needs family that'll stick with him no matter what. He never got that from the two supposed parents growing up back in Sunny-d. He had it once with Willow, or so I thought, but she's taken quite a bit from him too. Had no idea who it would be, but this works out better than I thought it would."

"What's going to stop her from trying to take him again?" John's voice surprised the others as they had almost forgotten him given his silence. John didn't turn to them, instead focused on finishing bandaging Alex's wounds. From the marks these chaos demons were clearly lethal creatures. That with the other scars that littered the child's body left him sick at heart. How many of them were from Tony? How many were because he hadn't been trained like his brothers to survive the dark?

"She'll try but she won't get far. That amulet and the spell I did on him will protect him from any one trying to summon him with magic. That being said you need to watch out for others trying to take him physically. The whelp always has been a target for trouble." Spike sighed heavily. "I'm also going to call the Watcher and let him know what's going on. He'll put a lock down on the two, and he'll have the support of enough people to do so."

Standing he stretched the kinks out of his back. "Well that's all for me. Hopefully we won't be seeing each other again. But if need be I know the whelp has my number in his cell."

"You're just leaving?" Dean bulked at that.

"Did my good deed. The rest is up to you lot." Deciding to make his exit while he could he easily pushed through the small crowd at the door and headed out into the night. Over his shoulder he gave them one last bit of wisdom. "I suggest you take good care of the whelp, or you'll be hearing about it from a lot of angry people."

Dean, Sam, Jo and Ash just stared at the retreating blond in disbelief only shaken out of their stupor when Ellen spoke.

"He going to be ok or should I call a doctor?"

Rubbing a hand along his now tired face John considered the option. "I think he'll be fine. The wounds weren't too bad, but given his new age it'll take a while for him to heal."

"So are you all going to hold up in this room or do you want me to put Dean and Sam in the other room?" Ellen leaned against the door jam.

John looked towards his two older sons taking in the clear defiance on both of their faces at the thought. "No, I think we'll be fine here. Do you have any extra cots or blankets?"

"I'll get you some sleeping bags," she stated pushing off the doorframe to do just that. Jo followed after her.

"Uh… I guess I'll leave you guys to it then." Ash rubbed his head sheepishly then ducked out as well.

Silence prevailed in the small room, as none of the Winchester men knew quite what to say. Until Sam finally broke.

"Is he really going to be ok?" Concerned eyes strayed to the tiny figure lying lifelessly under the bed sheets.

"Yeah, he's a fighter, just like you boys." Their father sighed heavily again, feeling every year of his age. "If he's strong enough tomorrow we'll take him to Bobby's. We can lay low there while he heals."

"It's not going to be easy. Especially if he remembers everything from before," Sam warned. "I know I wouldn't take getting turned into a ten-year-old well."

"Doesn't matter," Dean stated firmly. "He's our brother and we take care of our own."

"That we do," John murmured. "We'll just have to try and be patient, though I know it's not a trait any of us generally use much. One thing we all have a lot of is stubbornness."

Xander woke up feeling groggy and sore. Which wasn't too different from how he'd been feeling for some time given his injuries. Blinking his one eye he stared up into a ceiling he had never seen before. For one long moment confusion ruled his mind, until the memories of the past few weeks came crawling back to him.

He remembered the fight, or screaming match, with Buffy and Willow. He remembered getting in his car after a few tearful goodbyes to those that would miss him. He remembered driving to nowhere in particular until he came across a bar called the Road House. He remembered his father and brothers suddenly showing up and over hearing their conversation about him. He remembered Spike suddenly showing up, thwarting his plans of escape and the conversation he had with his 'family'. He remembered…magic. He remembered the tell tale feel of magic coursing through him, the power terribly familiar. Spike had spouted something off about Dru and 'seeing' this coming, but the pain had been too much by the end of it for him to really hear what the vampire had said.

A cold, desolate feeling settled deep in his stomach, as disappointment and betrayal welled up in his heart.

Willow had done a spell on him.

Willow had done a spell on him after promising to never ever do so without his express permission. After she had promised that she would never use magic for selfish reasons again. Willow had broken the last thread of trust that lay between them.

Tears slipped from his one eye, a silent testament to his pain. Bringing up one hand to wipe them away he froze upon spying the rather small appendage.

What the hell?

Taking a long blink he tried to reason out the image in front of him with the image in his mind. Bringing the other hand up he noted that it too had shrunk. Shooting up into a sitting position, ignoring the screaming pain from his wounds he stared in disbelief at his hands. Throwing the blanket covering his legs he saw that they too had grown smaller. With growing horror he slid from the bed, ignoring the other sleeping forms in the room. Searching the room he spied a long mirror near what looked like a closet.

With shaky steps he made his way to the front of the mirror, not quite daring to look into it until he reached his destination. Closing his eye and taking a deep breath he steeled his resolve and looked up. Staring back at him was a scrawny ten-year-old, with lots of bruises, little height and one missing eye, which he verified with a quick flip of the eye patch. Legs unable to hold his weight he plopped to the floor and just stared at his reflection not quite comprehending the picture gazing back.

White-hot rage slowly replaced the bewildered state his mind had slid into. He could feel it sing through his limbs as he stood, body trembling with the force of his anger.

Willow had turned him into a child. She placed him in the one state that he had fought against since the first time Tony had hit him. Helplessness. Of all the people he had known over the years he had thought his best friend, his yellow-crayon-buddy had understood his absolute hatred of that feeling. Instead she had taken everything he had fought for, every progressive step he had made in the ability to defend himself and others and thrown it away. He could forgive her a lot of things, had forgiven her more than anyone else on this planet, but he could not forgive this.

Emotions boiling over he struck out, his small hand slamming hard into the mirror managing to crack it. Over and over again he punched at the terrible image staring back at him. So focused on releasing his anger, he didn't notice his father or brothers jumping to attention at the noise. He didn't notice when they moved to stop him only to draw up short from the broken sob that escaped his lips. It didn't take long for his rage to fizzle out and the heartbreak to invade his being. Soon his hits grew slower and weaker until he only had energy for the sobs that wracked his tiny frame.

Falling to his knees he curled into himself, the tears refusing to subside.

John felt his own heart ache watching his youngest. While he knew he couldn't make it better, he could at least comfort his son. Taking stock of the few shards of glass that had escaped from the mirror in Alex's assault, he gently lifted the crying boy into his arms frowning slightly at the unnatural thinness. Moving back to the bed he sat down holding Alex close, one hand rubbing his back soothingly.

Sam watched the scene sadly before slipping out to get some water for Alex. No doubt he had cut his hands, or at the very least bruised them badly. Already Dean had started going through the first aid kit they still had and pulled out various things they would need to wrap them.

When he came back to the room he found Dean next to their father trying to coax Alex to give him his hands. For a moment it looked like the boy would refuse, but then he cautiously held them out allowing Dean to look them over.

Dean looked down at the small bruised fingers, a few cuts littering the knuckles. Checking for any left over glass he gently cleaned the scratches using the water Sam had brought in and some alcohol. The fact the kid barely flinched at the pain had the oldest brother clenching his jaw to fight back his anger.

With quick efficient movements Dean had his little brother's hands wrapped up. Leaning back he started stuffing the left over bandages into the kit. "Those should hold. They didn't look broken." Turning to Alex who peaked out at him from his place in their father's arms Dean smirked. "Sorry but I don't have a sucker for ya. But you can have Sammy's desert tomorrow to make up for it."

Sam rolled his eyes playfully. "And just WHY are you giving away MY desert? It should be yours!"

"Hey. I'm the oldest brother. It's my prerogative." Dean nodded sagely.

"That's a crap argument!"

Xander looked at them both quietly as they bickered back and forth. He could tell they were trying to make him comfortable and after the revelation he'd just had he couldn't find it in himself to be angry with them. So he decided to just go with it. "What kind of desert?"

The two older boys stopped their argument to turn to their kid brother. Xander blinked at them innocently, tears finally stopping.

"If I'm going to get a desert I need to verify it's a good one," he stated plainly, as if it were an obvious fact. "Can't have you trying to slip me that healthy stuff."

The two blinked a bit before Dean's smirked grew tenfold. "A man after my own heart."

"You mean stomach," Sam deadpanned.

"Just because you have no taste…"

"I have taste!"

"Boys." John interrupted before they could really get going. He smiled wryly at their sheepish looks. "We can argue about such things in the morning. For now why don't we all get some more rest? If Alex is feeling up to it we're going to go to Bobby's tomorrow."

"Yes sir." Dean and Sam both answered automatically. Both smiled reassuringly at the young boy before heading back to bed.

John shifted a bit to lie down, letting Alex lie beside him. Xander was a bit surprised at the move, but at the same time he felt safe. Safer than he had in a long time, and after his little breakdown he could use the support from his father. He had always been a tactile person, at least as much as he could be.

"It's ok Alex, I got you." His father's whisper had him relaxing further as he curled into the larger man letting the exhaustion lull him back to sleep.

The next time he woke up Xander had a slightly easier time of it. Shifting a bit he tried to snuggle further into the blankets, only to realize his father was gone. Looking out he saw that Dean and Sam had also vacated the room. Panic lurched through him. Had his father and brothers left him too? Did they not want him either?

"Hey, you're up." Sam's friendly voice broke through his worry causing him to relax in a flood of relief, as he turned to see the older male enter the room. "Dad and Dean are helping Ellen out around the place for a bit. You missed breakfast but I'm sure we can get Ellen to let you have something. Just flash the puppy dog eyes and you're in." He winked conspiratorially at the child, pleased when a small smile lit his face. Holding out a bag he continued. "I picked you up some clothes seeing as yours won't fit anymore. And don't worry I didn't get anything 'dorky' as Dean would say."

"Thanks." Xander smiled taking the bag from him and looking through it. He found some jeans and cargo pants and several plain colored shirts, underwear and socks. There also looked to be a pair of tennis shoes. Pulling out what he wanted to wear he started crawling out of bed to dress, surprised when Sam helped him.

"Just want to make sure you don't hurt yourself further." His brother held his hands up slightly. "You've got some nasty wounds there."

Nodding Xander checked the bandages as well, pleased to see nothing had bled through. "Yeah. Chaos demons are a pain to fight. Always try to turn me into shish kabob."

"Chaos demons?" Sam frowned, curious, as he had not heard of such beasts before.

"Yup. They were terrorizing a small village just inside the Congo," Xander explained absently as he pulled on his new clothes, not in the least bit shy. After Anya and living in Africa he'd gotten over any pretense of modesty. "I have some books in my car. I think there's a section on them in there."

"You have books on demons?"

"Well yeah. No point going in uninformed. That's just stupid." The way he said it had Sam chuckling a bit.

"Well if you don't mind could I look at them later?"

"Sure. Can't leave them in the car anyway." Tying his shoes he stood up only wincing slightly at the pull on his injuries. "That is…if I'm going with you guys." His voice had taken on a slightly unsure quality that had Sam feeling sad.

"Of course you're coming with us. We're not letting you out of our sights for some time." He assured the other, one hand gently ruffling his hair. "You're our brother."

Xander looked up at him, eyes still unsure. "But…"

Sam cut him off. "You're our brother. End of story. We may have been too stupid to treat you like we should have when we were younger, but not anymore. You're family and that's all that matters."

When Sam met his gaze and didn't waiver Xander started to believe him. Maybe they wouldn't abandon him. Nodding he grabbed the hand Sam held out for him. "Can I bring my weapons too?"

"Yeah you can bring those too." Sam shook his head ruefully.

Sam led him to the main restaurant area to find Jo washing down some tables. "Hey you guys." The blond grinned happily at them, mentally squealing at the cuteness of Alex. "You hungry Alex? Mom saved you a plate."

"Yes please." It usually paid to be polite, especially to those holding the food.

"Well you just pick a seat and I'll bring it right out." Jo left quickly leaving the brothers to decide on their table.

Choosing a booth that looked outside Xander crawled up into the large seat with some trouble, but he managed in the end. Thankfully Sam hadn't tried to help him, nor did he comment on his scrambling maneuver. He just slid into the other seat, leaning back.

While they waited Sam asked a bit about Africa and where Alex had been. It was a subject that Xander didn't mind speaking of, and in fact he loved bragging about HIS slayers that he'd found and trained. He made a mental note to get a hold of his phone and call Giles to make sure they were ok. He may not forgive Willow or even Buffy, but he'd never leave his girls.

Jo returned with his warmed up plate of food, just as Xander explained how he underwent a rite of passage for one of the tribes so they would allow Zeeta to go with him so he could train her. Perking up at the wonderful aroma of pancakes, eggs and bacon he dug in as soon as Jo had set the plate down. The other two shared an amused look.

"So this is where you guys got to." The group turned to find Dean followed closely by John headed their way.

"How are you feeling today, Alex," John queried upon spotting his youngest.

"Fine." The automatic answer came out before he could think about it. Xander supposed it had turned into a reflex.

John raised a brow. "How about we try a little more truth to that statement."

Squirming a bit under his father's stern gaze he relented. "Sore and a little tired still."

Nodding in understanding the man slid into the booth next to him. "If you're up to it we plan on heading up to South Dakota today to see Bobby. If not we can wait another day or so."

"I'll be ok. Besides since I'm not driving I can sleep in the car." He shrugged. "Sam said I could bring my books and weapons, though I'm not sure what to do about the car…"

"You might be better off selling it. Unless you're attached to it," Dean offered.

Xander considered that, then nodded. "That'll be ok. It's not exactly the best car anyway. Just something to get me place to place."

"We'll go through and get all the things you want out of it," John assured him.

Once he finished with breakfast, John went to speak to Ellen about the car while the boys all went out to grab what things Xander wanted. Inside the car he had a backpack with his laptop and clothes as well as one or two texts. Sam stared in awe at the size of the volumes Alex handed him. He then went to the glove compartment pulling out a couple knives and a 9mm. Dean immediately took the gun from him, worried that even if Alex knew how to fire it, given his size he might hurt himself.

"Ok that's it for the inside of the car. Now for the trunk." Xander unlocked said compartment, struggling a bit to raise the door. Finally Sam had to help him to get it to the full height. The trunk looked rather typical with an emergency kit and some other odds and ends a vehicle would need. Frowning Xander knew he couldn't reach the latch without hurting himself so he turned to Sam. "Can you reach by the left wheel well? There's a switch you need to press."

Sam followed to where Xander pointed and felt around for the latch. Finding it a loud click sounded and the bottom of the trunk popped up. Both Dean and Sam stared in amazement at the assortment of weapons the kid had. Several different knives of varying metals, a cross bow with bolts, some wooden others silver, lots of stakes, a broad sword and short sword, a couple shot guns and ammo, ammo for the 9mm, weapon cleaning supplies and a large battle axe that looked particularly well cared for.

Whistling softly Dean shook his head. "You are definitely a Winchester."

"I had to leave the flame thrower and rocket launcher with Giles, 'cause they wouldn't fit," he stated in all seriousness, leaning in to grab the bag holding several of his knives and his cleaning kit. Over his head Sam looked at Dean and mouthed 'rocket launcher' eyes wide. Dean merely shrugged indicating he didn't know, but his smirk clearly told Sam he wanted one.

Rolling his eyes Sam reached in to take some of the other weapons to transfer them to the Impala. "Hey Alex, I thought you had more books?"

"Huh? Oh, I do, but they're on a CD. We scanned the books that weren't cursed or had spirits locked in them to make a database that we could all use. Easier to carry around than a whole library," he explained carefully placing the bags he carried where Dean indicated.

"Books with spirits IN them?" Dean raised a brow curiously.

"Yeah. Back in high school when we started the project Will…" He paused swallowing hard against the pain and anger her name brought up. "Uh… we scanned a book that had the demon Moloch sealed inside it. When we scanned it he got loose in the internet and started causing all sorts of problems. He finally built himself a body and we were able to seal him back in the book. After that Giles checked all of his books to make sure none were cursed or being used as prisons for various baddies."

The two brothers paused trying to comprehend the whole scenario.

"So I take it that was a big battle," Dean asked almost nonchalantly.

"Nah that was maybe a two on the demon fighting scale." Xander answered just as casually. "Graduation when the Mayor turned into a 90 foot demon snake and tried to eat the graduating class was around an eight."

"Do I dare ask what warrants a ten?" Sam looked a bit pale, while Dean had grown angry. Their brother had fought the supernatural enough times that he had a scale to judge by, and all without the backup of their father's training or even just their presence.

"There are two that made a ten." Pausing as if reviewing the facts he amended his statement. "Well one was a ten, the other… I don't think a scale could even measure how bad that was…"

When he didn't add more they let it rest, for now. Once they got to Bobby's though, they'd drag it out of him. Transferring what little else Alex wanted to the Impala didn't take much longer and soon they returned to the Roadhouse to grab their bags from the room. John met them with Ellen advising that she had agreed to sell the vehicle. When handing over the keys Xander apologized for the mirror and told her to take the damages out of the money from the vehicle.

It didn't take long for them to end up on the road. John drove while Sam took up the front passenger seat due to his size and Dean kept Alex company in the back. Xander had given Sam the CD so he sat looking over various demons and asking Xander what he'd run into over the years. Usually he told a quick synopsis of what happened, occasionally letting out information he would have kept to himself, but given his tired state of mind he forgot to filter. More than once Sam and Dean glanced worriedly at their father, his hands clenching at the steering wheel turning his knuckles white in an attempt to control his temper. Not that either brother did much better. Both silently agreed to teach Alex how to better protect himself and that he'd have a better life this time around.

During a lull in the conversation the group was startled by the sudden sound of 'Secret Agent Man' blaring from Alex's coat pocket.

Xander pulled out his phone, sighing slightly as he answered. "Hey G-man."

"…"

"I'm as ok as I can be. You talked to Spike right?"

"…"

"Caught her red handed?" He seemed to slump in on himself. The older Winchesters traded glances.

"No, I'm safe. I'm with my dad and… No not Tony. He's not my real father."

"…"

"Yeah he was an asshole."

"…"

"John Winchester…" Xander flinched and held the phone away form his ear for a moment. In fact all of the Winchesters cringed a bit at the language coming down the line.

"Another one of your fans I see," Sam snipped at his father, earning a light glare in response.

"Calm down Giles," Xander ordered once the other had slowed down. "Yes THAT John Winchester, and no I didn't know he was a hunter until yesterday."

"…"

"Hey, we're not in the position to throw stones Giles. We've done just as much if not more during the good fight."

"…"

"I'm safe with him." Xander rolled his eyes. "My brothers are here too. They're not going to hurt me and if anyone tries I got some aces up my sleeves."

The older men stiffened at the implication they might hurt him, though all seemed curious about his so called 'aces'.

"Don't worry about it. How are my girls? Any of them having any problems?"

"…"

"I told you to let her keep her machete on her. She doesn't feel safe without it."

"…"

"Did you ask Kali to help you? Maya will listen to her. If not just ground her from patrol for a couple weeks and she'll settle down."

"…"

"That's what the chocolate and ice cream are for. Whoever said it was wrong to bribe children into good behavior never had to deal with multiple teenage mini-slayers." The knowing and resolute tone of his words had his brothers and father smiling a bit.

"How's Akinyi doing? Have her nightmares abated?"

"…"

"Is she there? Put her on and I'll talk to her."

"…"

"Just because I'm a kid again doesn't mean I can't support them, at least emotionally. Not too sure I'd be good back up in a fight anymore." He frowned, his face twisting into a rather cute pout. "Well you're going to have to tell them anyways. They need to know what's going on so they don't panic when they find out the truth."

"…"

"Giles, they're girls, they ALWAYS find out the truth. You tell a lie and they'll be on you like sharks scenting blood!"

That had his brothers chuckling a bit and even his father nodded in silent agreement. None of them could say that Alex didn't understand the female of their species.

"Oh, well if Faith and Dawn know the others probably know by now anyway. So put her on."

Silence reigned for a moment until the phone was obviously picked up by whoever he told this Giles he needed to speak to. Then Alex started speaking in a language none of them knew, though Sam thought it might be Swahili. All the while his voice remained strong and comforting for whoever was on the other end. The conversation lasted for a few more minutes before Giles took the phone back.

"Can you have Thalia and Xan Chi keep an eye on her, they've been through similar situations, so they'll be able to help her out."

"…"

"Yeah, I'll keep in touch."

"…"

"No I don't think I'll be back for a long time. This was just too much. I mean, she PROMISED Giles! She SWORE she'd never do something like this to anyone or me again. This isn't something I can forgive Giles. And if I come back I'm liable to do something I may or may not regret."

"…"

"Thanks G-man. I'm glad to know you still have my back."

"…"

"Yeah, you too. Talk to you later." He ended the call and leaned back into the seat, eye closed.

"So… who's Giles?" Dean ventured, trying to go for nonchalant.

"He was our high school librarian and Buffy's Watcher. He's the one that had all the books and helped us research the demon of the week. Now he heads the Council," Xander muttered absently.

"This was when you started fighting?" John looked into the rearview at his youngest.

"Yup."

"And he didn't train you?" There was an edge to the words.

"He was busy with Buffy, she was The Slayer after all. But he looked after us as best he could. Aside from Mrs. Summers he was the only other stable parental figure the three of us had." Xander shifted a bit, his energy starting to leave.

Sensing his father's anger rising Sam decided to deflect the conversation. "So what language were you speaking to that girl?"

"Huh? Oh you mean when I was talking to Akinyi? It was Swahili."

"Really? How many languages do you speak?" Sam turned a bit to look at his brother.

"I don't know… I think seven fluently and I know basic phrases from at least ten. I can read more than that, though mostly ancient and a few demonic. All prophecies seem to be written in old obscure texts. Mostly I just scan them until I see words like danger, apocalypse or some other hint that bad things will happen, then I pass the book off to the experts."

"That's still impressive. Swahili's a hard language," Sam praised.

"Not as hard as Fyarl."

"Fyarl?"

"Yeah, it's a demon language." A yawn escaped the boy, his body sliding down in the seat, leaning into Dean who threw and arm around him. "Giles got turned into one once. It was pretty funny…"

Sam looked back to say something else when he saw that Alex had gone down for the count. "Well he's out."

"He needs his rest. He's got some serious wounds," His father murmured quietly.

"Yeah well nothings gonna touch him again if I can help it," Dean snapped from the back, laying a coat over his younger brother's form to keep him warm.

Neither John nor Sam commented, but they silently agreed.


End file.
